Correspondence and documents, 1789-1985, of members of the Chesebrough and Peckham families of New York, chiefly, of Robert and Constant Rathbone Chesebrough and their descendants, and of Walton H. Peckham and Margaret Horn and their descendants. The families were united through the marriage of Walton M. Peckham and Marie Louise Chesebrough.

Biographical/historical information

Robert John Chesebrough (1798-1870), son of Robert Chesebrough and Content Rathbone, was born in New York City in 1798, graduated from Yale in 1817, and was admitted to the bar. His daughter, Marie Louise Chesebrough (d.1908), married Walton M. Peckham, the son of Walton H. Peckham and Margaret Horn. Their son, Wheeler Hazard Peckham (b.1880), married Ethel Anson Steel (b.1879), daughter of William W. Steel and Juliet Rauch in 1906. Their daughter, Content Rathbone Peckham (b.1909), married Joseph Cowan.

Scope and arrangement

The papers contain letters, 1808-1839, to Robert John Chesebrough from family, friends and associates; and letters to Margaret A. Horn Peckham, 1849-1876, from her sister Charlotte and brother-in-law Marshall Pepoon written from Europe; as well as letters, wills, military records, and other papers of various members of the Chesebrough and Peckham families. Also, and genealogical research files of notes, correspondence, and clippings.